The Boy Who Walked On Water

The Boy Who Walked On Water
By Mark Spencer

Tommy was a special boy,
People knew so from the start.
Intelligence denied him,
Left more room within his heart.

He would always be a child,
His physicians used to say.
Although, unlike Peter Pan,
Tommy couldn’t fly away.

But he had many stories,
That he shared with mom and dad.
And every tale he told them,
Seemed to make his father mad.

“Today I walked on water,
Because Jesus said I could.
He held my hand the first time,
But then I got pretty good.”

“I was walking by myself,
By the closing of the day.
And Jesus said, tomorrow,
We might have time to play!”

“I have had enough of this!”
His dad blurted with a shout.
“You will stop this blasphemy,
Or I swear, I’ll throw you out!”

Tommy’s dad was a preacher,
At the local Baptist church.
He claimed to be a shepherd,
Who could guide you in your search.

The boy couldn’t understand
Why his dad would not believe,
Why was he so quick to say,
That his son meant to deceive?

Tommy grabbed his sleeping bag,
And a pillow from his bed.
Then he climbed out the window,
And toward the lake, he fled.

He built himself a campfire,
Then retired for the night.
He knew the Lord would visit,
In the early morning light.

But a frantic cry for help,
Caused the sleeping child to wake.
He heard the clamor coming
From the far side of the lake.

By the time the boy arrived,
The man was going under.
And when Tommy pulled him up,
His eyes were filled with wonder.

He’d been swimming with some friends,
But they got separated.
When his side began to cramp,
He feared that death awaited.

But the boy came to his aid,
Got the drowning man to shore.
His friends claimed they’d never seen
Such a miracle before.

Rumors spread like wildfire,
It was all over the news.
The reporters combed the town,
In pursuit of interviews.

When Tom’s dad saw the paper,
The news had gotten hotter.
The headline bore the title:
“THE BOY WHO WALKED ON WATER!”

And as he read the story,
He could not believe his eyes.
How could this be possible?
He was taken by surprise.

This news was unexpected,
And a shock to everyone.
Though the preacher suspected
The young hero was his son.

But Tommy was still missing,
Since the night he ran away.
Wolves were spotted near the lake!
So the preacher knelt to pray.

Search parties scoured the lakeshore,
Not a stone was left unturned.
No trace was found of Tommy,
And the boy had not returned.

He prayed: “Father forgive me,
I am such a foolish man.
Please bring my son back to me,
God, I pray this is your plan.”

“Tommy left because of me,
My unchristian attitude,
But after all that’s happened,
Lord, my faith has been renewed.”

And in response to the prayer
He so penitently prayed,
He heard a sound from above,
In the room where Tommy stayed.

He bolted up the staircase,
Heading straight for his son’s room.
A strange fragrance met him there,
It was sweeter than perfume.

He found the boy in his bed,
Slowly waking from a nap.
His dad quickly scooped him up,
And he sat him on his lap.

“My son, I want to thank you,”
He proclaimed through tear filled eyes.
“What I treated as a curse,
Was a blessing in disguise.”

“I just saw your handicap,
Your impaired intelligence.
But God has anointed you
With the soul of innocence.”

“You said you walked with Jesus,
That’s a truth I couldn’t see.
I thought if one was chosen…
Jesus would have chosen me.”

“I was blinded by my pride,
And your disabilities.
But you, my son, are flowing
With such possibilities.”

“I am humbled by your faith,
And my judging days are through.
You know so much more than I,
The whole world could learn from you.”

He took his son by the hand
And they walked down to the lake.
An anchor man reported,
“This story must be a fake.”

But before he could finish
He saw something magical.
On-lookers started pointing,
Shouting “It’s a Miracle!”

Coming across the water,
They saw a man and a boy.
The sight left some dumbfounded,
While others were filled with joy.

It was Tommy and his dad,
Filmed on national TV.
And in the weeks that followed,
They became celebrities.

Many people flocked to them,
Saw their faith in God restored.
The boy who walked on water,
Led them all back to the Lord.

And God poured out His spirit,
Over every faithful heart.
And all across the planet,
People wanted to take part.

They were all led by a child,
Who would never be a man.
His eternal innocence
Made him seem like Peter Pan.

Men and women learned from him,
So too, their sons and daughters.
Those who seek to walk in faith,
Must learn to walk on water.